Got to feel for Vokey and his agent Michael Deutsch. They went into free agency knowing that Vokoun was the top dog available so how could they know the rest of the league would low-ball them like that, especially after the Flyers shelled out $51 million for Ilya (I’ll buy a vowel) Bryzgalov and got rid of Jeff Carter and Mike Richards to do so?

There’s no question that the Panthers were looking for a hometown discount and why not? They had already given Vokey $23 million over the past four playoffless years. In the hindsight is 20-20 department, sure he should’ve jumped at the ‘discount,’ which turned out to be probably double what he took and for 2-3 years, not one at $1.5 million, the same deal Jose Theodore got in Sunrise, but for two years.

I guess they thought they had Phoenix and Colorado as a last resort – until the Avs acquired goalie Semyon Varlamov from the same Caps team Vokoun ended up with. Irony? And the Coyotes scooped up ex-Lighting netminder Mike Smith. Oops.

Just when the Panthers finally bring in some snipers that could put the puck in the net, Vokoun departs.

Vokoun is tired of missing the playoffs so the Capitals are still a better bet to compete for a Stanley Cup title before Vokey gets his AARP card. And D.C. is a sweet place to live and play so while he left some greenbacks on the table he may end up accomplishing his Stanley Cup dream. Is that so wrong? As for Jo-zay, Panthers fans must hope he reverts to his Caps form and not his Wild ways, or pray that Jacob Markstrom heals quickly and continues to adapt his style to North American hockey (in San Antonio).

Can you really blame Vokey for testing the market or the Panthers for letting him? I say no on both accounts.

Comments (20 Comments)

I don’t blame Vokun for testing the market nor do I blame Tallon for jumping on the Theodore bandwagon once a deal could not be signed before July 1. I still do believe that both sides should have reconsidered after Jose was hired and Tomas had nowhere to go. We would have had the two goalies for about the price would have paid for Vokun alone and we would have been a much better team with the two together.

Yes I agree as well, but if money wasn’t an issue and playing on a playoff team is as important as many claim it to be, then why make it so restricitive for Tallon to trade him at the trade deadline?

Obviously, it backfired worse than they could’ve imagined. Apparently goalie value has decreased, especially since the Hawks won with Niemi, Detroit with Osgood,etc.. Does anyone know if the Isles still hold Nabokov’s rights?

I can’t fault Vokoun for leaving any more than any other talent whose ever left this club, frustrated and disillusioned. It’s the reputation we’ve earned for ourselves. All we can hope is that he’s the last.

Even with this total overhaul and the prospect that the worst days of this franchise may finally be behind us, time is not on Vokoun’s side. If he were a few years younger, perhaps he’d accepted a deal, but his clock is telling him that he’d better get attached to a sure thing quickly if he’s ever to reach a Cup Final and he’s down to his last chance.

Unless I’m under the wrong impression, and Harvey please correct me if I am, Vokun did try to renegotiate with us after we signed Theodore (and he had few options left), but we closed the door on him.

I think Vokun took what he had, but in hindsight he would much rather have accepted the Panther original offer. He did not leave the Panthers a la Lebron leaving Cleveland to increase his chance to win a cup. He felt he was worth a better offer, and it backfired on him.

I like Vokun, I respect Vokun, but his ending up in Washington was not a noble decision, it was a last resort.

Tallon made numerous offers before signing Theodore. Would you like feeling as a “last resort” just because someone is too arrogant to sign with you? Vokoun thought he’d get Bryzgalov money as a FA. He lost this game and when he’s shuffled behind Holty and Neuvirth in Washington, he’ll be in the BAC watching us win.

cant fault anyone here. everything went perfectly wrong for vokoun. as you said he was largely regarded as the best goalie on the market. but everyone figured they couldnt afford that and went with cheaper options until there were no more options.

i still cant believe that was still the best offer he could get?

i guess now the plan is have a solid winning year then get another multi year deal next year. might add a year of income for him.

Guys, guys, guys….I’m surprised about you all. Nothing Harvey wrote is incorrect. However, you are forgetting the most damning factor of all….”the Panther curse”. Vokoun played for arguablly the worst franchise in NHL history. To other teams, he was damaged goods from the get-go whether he played down here well or not. No other clubs want Florida players unless they come on the cheap and Florida gets soaked on the deal. Since that typical lop-sided scenario wasn’t available to them, Vokoun was the last man standing in a game of “goalie musical chairs”. If Vokie would have factored in that Florida sucks, things would have ended differently for him. Nevertheless, if his wish is to win the Stanley Cup he is now closer to it than he will ever be.

Nothing you have said here is true. This is the most idiotic post I’ve read in a long time. Let’s take a look at recent signings, or players traded that are doing well in the last 2 years , Marty Reasoner, Dennis Wideman, Michael Frolik, Chris Higgins, Nick Bergfors,Nathan Horton, Dennis Seidenberg, Jordan Leopold, Dominic Moore, Jay Bo. If you can play, you can play anywhere and teams in the league know this.

I wish the best for every former Panther.
Amazing how most of you kill anybody that wants out of the worst minor league joke team in sports (2000-2011) **
** I am now qualifying that b/c maybe they have decided to compete on the ice.

TV essentially played behind an AHL team with a Junior Coach.
The Panthers are KNOWN to give up 50 shots a game, 40, whatever.
and chipping in 1, maybe 2.
He still posted a very good save %, and 6 shutouts this season.

Best of luck TV, hope you get deep into playoffs.
—————————————————————————————————–
I like what DT has done so far…..

But how do you all so easily forgive 11 years of minor league hockey, vicious lies, & transparent fraud ??

You’re dead wrong about 40 to 50 shots a game. Opponent average 30.75 shots a game. 1753 shot in 53 games. Do the math. The panther out shot many of their opponents. You should watch the games, or better yet go to the BAC like I do and watch them.

yeah dollar wise he may have gotten screwed but who would you rather play for next year? Florida, Phoenix, Colorado or Washington? I think the answer is pretty clear. Vokoun finally has a chance to win a cup and after making over $20 million dollars here in Florida I’m sure leaving a few million on table is worth it to him if it works out in Washington. Plus if things go well there he will be up for another contract next off season and I sure free agency will go better for him. No reason to feel bad for the guy. He is now playing for a team that is a true contender and one of the more popular teams in the league right now which has to be nice after all the years of toiling in relative obscurity in Nashville and Sunrise.

Bad news for Red Barons, Vokouns, etc..The situation in the Southest looks perfect for the Panthurds this time. TVO will help us in DC – where big O and the rest are already an unhappy gang (entering TVO “era”) , Tampa won’t spend much beyond an Anthony Stewart 1 yr deal terorized they wont have enough to match a potential Stamkos counteroffer, Carolina lost Cole, didn’t move much, Winnipeg is building…This is an opportunity now ! DT push the gas pedal!

One curious rfa that still hasn’t signed is Steven Stamkos. Tallon had “no comment” on him yet was quick to deny any interest in Richards. Any possibility we are working a big trade with Tampa to get him? Presenting Stamkos with an offer sheet will only cause ill will with Tampa and force them to match. Some call it gamemanship, but I don’t think it’s Tallon’s style. He would rather work quietly with Yzerman on the side than force his hand in my opinion.

I just believe if Stamkos wanted to sign with Tampa, it should have been done by now.

Advertisement

About the author

HARVEY FIALKOV, a tennis-playing sportswriter who grew up in Long Island following the dynastic Islanders, is the new Panthers beat writer for the Sun Sentinel and looking forward to writing about the best professional sports team in Broward County.